Michigan’s offseason turbulence could have unraveled everything. Instead, the Wolverines kept the whole thing together.
When Dusty May left for the Dallas Mavericks in late June, Michigan’s incoming class suddenly looked vulnerable. The group was loaded - six freshmen and three transfers - and ranked No. 2 in the country. A coaching change that late in the summer could have sent it spinning.
It didn’t.
Less than three weeks after May’s departure, interim coach Mike Boynton Jr. and Michigan had locked in all nine newcomers for the season. The final holdout, top-50 prospect Quinn Costello, confirmed Thursday that he is staying put.
He joins freshmen Brandon McCoy Jr., Limcoln Cosby, Joseph Hartman, Malachi Brown and Marcus Moller, along with transfers Moustapha Thiam, Jalen Reed and J.P. Estrella.
Those additions give Michigan a roster that still looks built to matter. The newcomers will pair with starting point guard Elliot Cadeau, rising sophomore Trey McKenney, redshirt freshman Ricky Liburd and redshirt sophomore Oscar Goodman.
The only scholarship player who has not yet said what he plans to do this season is guard L.J. Cason, who is expected to spend much of the year rehabbing a torn ACL.
Boynton’s promotion was about more than keeping the seat warm. Michigan elevated him in part because of his recruiting ability and his familiarity with the system, and that proved to be the right call when the program needed stability fast.
“We feel good about the relationships that our staff has with the players on the team,” Boynton said after he was promoted. “These guys all committed to come to Michigan to play together, and the team that we put together, we feel like can compete nationally, and certainly at the higher end of the Big Ten, and those conversations are ongoing.
I don't want to speak for any of them. I'm glad for all the guys who have already made their intentions known, and I look forward to continuing to talk to the guys who haven't officially and getting them on board as well.”
Boynton also said the Wolverines should look much the same in 2026-27 as they would have under May.
“We'll continue to play the system that we played the last couple years with Dusty,” he said. “We'll play a lot through our ones and fives. Our wings will be dynamic playmakers and shooters, and we'll continue to put guys in position to succeed as a team, but also to do what Morez, Aday and Yax are going to do [at the NBA Draft]: Walk across the stage, shake Adam Silver's hand, hear the name called, and live out their NBA dreams.”
And when May told the team he was leaving for the Mavericks, his final message was clear: Michigan still had what it needed to keep winning this season.
In Other News...
Michigan Finally Made Its Big Basketball Decision Amid Mounting Pressure
Michigans basketball program has finally settled its biggest offseason question, and the timing matters. Mike Boynton Jr. is now in place on a two-year deal, giving the Wolverines a clear leader after a stretch of uncertainty and pressure around the job. He has already done important work on the roster side by keeping current commitments intact, which helps stabilize a program that could not afford much more drift.
The harder part now is building the bench around him. Michigan still has three coaching staff openings to sort through after departures connected to the Dallas Mavericks and other moves, leaving Boynton with a quick turnaround as he tries to assemble a workable group. Akeem Miskdeen, Kyle Church, KT Harrell and strength coach Matt Aldred remain in the building, but the staff picture is still taking shape as the Wolverines move into the next phase of the transition. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Fans Are Bracing For A Massive Recruiting Decision
Michigans next few recruiting cycles are starting to take shape in a way that should matter to fans who like seeing both familiar names and blue-chip talent on the board. Safety Marquis Ray, the son of former Wolverine Marcus Ray, already has a Michigan offer, and there is at least some outside belief that the program will eventually land him. Add in four-star safety LaMarcus Army setting up a game day visit for the 2026 season, and the staff is clearly keeping a wide net out in the secondary.
The bigger immediate swing could come on the defensive front, where Michigan is in the mix for four-star lineman Seth Tillman as his decision approaches. His recruitment has moved quickly enough that the Wolverines have stayed firmly in the conversation, which is exactly the kind of late-stage push that can reshape how a class looks on paper. For a program trying to stack future depth with players who fit its identity, the next few days and weeks could tell a lot about how strong this run on the trail really is. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Got The Clarity Fans Were Desperate For
Michigans offseason finally has some direction after a stretch of uncertainty that followed Dusty Mays departure for the Dallas Mavericks. Mike Boynton, who stepped in to steady the program, has now been officially elevated to the head job on a two-year contract, giving the Wolverines a clearer picture of who will be steering the roster into next season.
The timing matters because the group around him is starting to take shape, too, with nearly all of the players from last season expected back. That kind of continuity gives Boynton a real base to work with as he settles into the role, and it also raises the stakes for what Michigan can do with a roster that already looks far more intact than many expected when the coaching change first hit. [Read more 🡒]